Water meter repair vise



Dec. '15, 1942;

B. F. cuR'ns WATER METER REPAIR vxsE' Filed Sept. 16, 1940 FIG.

INVENTOR- 4 v ATTORNEYS.

ll/Ill EET H Patented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED smrss eArsnT OFFICE WATER METER REPAIR VISE Benjamin F. Curtis, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application September 16, 1940, Serial N0.357,040

2 Claims.

The present invention relates broadly to vises and more particularly to a Vise for holding various instruments during assembling and general repair operations.-

The primary object of the invention is to provide a practical and rugged vise construction which is especially designed for use in the repair of water meters.

A further and important object of the invention is to provide a water meter repair vise which may be manufactured at a very low cost. thru dispensing with expensive machining operations.

A further object resides in the novel arrange ment for supporting the Water meter in various angular positions while tightening the vise, .together with means for preventing marring of the screw threads of the coupling extensions of the meter.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which drawing Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the vise and showing a water meter held in position in the vise.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thru the vise.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the vise.

Figures 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections on the respective lines in Figure 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan View looking toward the inner end of the movable jaw member.

Referring to the drawing in detail and wherein like reference characters designate corre- 1 sponding parts thruout the several views, th vise comprises an elongated one piece vise body or frame in which is preferably formed of cast iron, altho other suitable metal may be'used. The body or frame Ill is formed with an elongated base portion I! having an integral standard !2, for the fixed jaw of the vise, at one end. and an integral standard M for the movable jaw of the vise, at its opposite end, these stan-dards'being in widely spaced relation to accommodate not only the work therebetween, but also the movable jaw as hereinafter described. As shown, the base II and standards 12 and [4 are preferably hollow cast and are closed at their upper ends.',

ing the usual terminally threaded coupling exseat 2%.

tensions H which extendin axial alignment from the body portion-of the meter. 7

The standard i2 carries, at its upper" end, a fixed jaw 22, preferably haVi-ngan upwardly opening arcuate seat or rest 2!] the axis of which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame it, the seat or rest being inset with respect to th standard i2, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Recessed into the jaw-Z2 coaxial with the-seat 20 is a disc insert 2i, --preferably of leather or other yieldable material, forming an abutment against which the outer end of one of the coupling extensions 17 engages when cradled in the This disc 2! serves to protect the .end thread of the coupling-extension.- I a The jaw 22 may be provided with a square tapering opening or socket 23 which may accommodate the, shank on a small vise or any other needed accesory. This opening 23 also provides a convenient place for driving pins in or out of parts of the meter, as well .as allowing the straightening of small gears with the pivot pins in place.

Thus in the example shown, the fixed jaw 22 not only provides an abutment and support for one of th coupling extensions of the meter, but also provides a place for performing repair work upon meter parts.

The standard I4 has an integrally cast horizontally elongated head 24 at its upper end having a socket 25 formed therein and opening at its inner end thru the inner wall 25 of the standard. This socket 25 extends horizontally and is substantially co-axial with arcuate seat 20. Arranged for sliding movement in the head portion 24 is a movable jaw member 28 including a polygonal thrust bar 30 having a screw threaded bore 3|. Secured as by welding or other suitable means to the outer end of the bar is a'jaw head 32 having an arcuate flange 33 projecting from its outer face and forming a rest 34 co-axial with the seat or rest 20. Recessed into the outer face of the head 32 coaxial with the rest 34 is a disc insert 35, also preferably of leather or other yieldable material forming an abutment against which the outer end of one of the coupling extensions ll of the water meter engages when cradled in the arcuate rests '25 and 34.

Threaded into the bore 3| of the bar 30 is an adjusting screw 35 having a reduced outer end portion 37 projecting thru a round opening 38 in the outer end wall of the head 24 and provided with an adjusting handle 40. A collar 4| is fixed on the screw 36 and forms a thrust collar when adjusting'the jaw member 28.

As will be seen in Figures 2 and 4, the diameter of bar 30 is less than the diameter of socket 25, thus forming a clearance space between the walls of the bar and the socket. This clearance space is filled with babbitt metal 45 which forms polygonal bore in socket 25, in which the bar 30 is reciprocally guided. As shown in Fig. 2, the babbitt also extends into the opening 38 and forms a bearing for the reduced portion 31 of the adjusting screw 36 to turn in. Pouring the babbitt 45 about the bar 30, eliminates the expense of costly machine work on the head portion 24 in forming a polygonal guide for the bar 30.

In use, the coupling extensions ll of the water meter are placed in the cradle-like seats or rests and 34 and the meter rotated to the desired angle, and then the handle 40 operated for feeding the jaw head 32 toward the fixed jaw 22 whereby the yieldable inserts 2| and 35 will be clamped against the ends of the extensions I! and firmly hold the meter in position. Thus the cradle-like seats 20 and 34 form supports for the meter to'rest in while tightening the work in the vise; while the leather inserts 2| and 35 protect the end threads of the threaded coupling extensions l I.

Changes in detail may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described provided they do not depart from the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a water meter repair vise, the combination of a base provided with two widely spaced fixed standards; a fixed jaw at the upper end portion of one of said standards; a horizontally elongated head, at the upper end portion of the other of said standards with its major axis intersecting the work receiving face of said fixed jaw, said head provided with a longitudinally extending polygonal bore, open at the face of the head confronting said fixed jaw, and a round bearing of an internal diameter smaller than and coaxial with said bore, said bearing open to the inner end of the bore and to the outer end Wall of the head; a polygonal thrust bar reciprocably mounted in said bore, having a screw threaded bore open at its end nearest to and co-axial with said bearing; a jaw head fixed to the end of said bar confronting said fixed jaw; an adjusting screw in threaded engagement with said bar at the bore thereof, said screw provided with a reduced outer end portion extending thru said bearing; and an operating handle on said reduced end portion of the screw.

2. In a water meter repair vise, the combination of a base provided with two widely spaced fixed standards; a fixed jaw at the upper end portion of one of said standards; a horizontally elongated head, at the upper end portion of the other of said standards with its major axis intersecting the work receiving face of said fixed jaw, said head provided with a longitudinally extending socket open at the face of the head confronting said fixed jaw, and a round opening of an internal diameter smaller than and coaxial with said socket, said opening communicating with said socket at its inner end and open to the outer wall of the head; a poured metal lining in said socket and opening, said lining having a polygonal bore in the socket and forming a bearing in said opening; a polygonal thrust bar reciprocably mounted in said bore, having a screw threaded bore open at its end nearest to and co-axial with said bearing; a jaw head fixed to the end of said bar confronting said fixed jaw; an adjusting screw in threaded engagement with said bar at said bore thereof, said screw provided with a reduced outer end portion extending thru said bearing; and an operating handle on the reduced end portion of the screw.

BENJAMIN F. CURTIS. 

